High speed machines of various speeds, shapes and sizes have been known and used for many years, and for a variety of reasons.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,406,419 (Frank W. Kotzur) discloses a method and apparatus for winding lengths of flexible material, packages produced by such method and apparatus, as well as endforms forming part of the mandrels on which such windings are formed, incorporate a number of winding parameters which are related to one another by a mathematical formula. Specifically, the mathematical relationship ##EQU1## where: A=the guide stroke, Gd=the guide distance from the spindle center brie axis, G=the gain or advance of the wind, Dm=the diameter of the wind or coil, and Ym=the wind or coil width; governs the shape of the walls of the endform and such endforms are used in winding apparatus for producing wound packages of flexible material. From the above equation, the geometrical shape of the wound package can also be determined.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,523,723 (Frank W. Kotzur) discloses a universal winding consisting of a plurality of successive figure-8s spaced radially around a mandrel with the figure-8s being spaced such that the crossovers exist in all but one location to form a payout hole extending from the exterior of the winding into the interior of the axial opening therein in which the speed of the traverse or speed of the mandrel is varied with respect to one another in such a manner that a greater density winding is obtained having a more uniform density, thereby enabling the winding to be compressed more uniformly around the diameter of the coil. A variation in the speed of the traverse or the speed of the spindle with respect to one another can be defined as either a plus or a minus gain and small changes in the gain place the crossovers such that the flexible material is wound more densely. The invention has particular application to large diameter winds in which relatively large diameter flexible material is wound.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,249,726 (Frank W. Kotzur) discloses an apparatus and process for winding filamentary material in a figure 8 configuration including a rotatable spindle for retaining a mandrel upon which the filamentary material is wound; a traverse mechanism for controlling the laying of wound coils on the mandrel; and controlling the advance of the wound layers on the mandrel in accordance with the rotation of the spindle and the movement of the traverse mechanism to vary the angular displacement of the wound coil so that the number of crossovers of succeeding layers of the wound coils increases as the winding process progresses, thereby increasing the density of the wound coils.
Many types of wire and cable are sold in spool-less packages. The term “package” is a term of art which refers to the coil of wire itself that is wound in a figure 8 to hold itself together. This type of package includes a plurality of windings with each winding crossing itself to form a figure 8. The crossovers of successive windings are angularly displaced and progress around the circumference of the package. The crossovers do not progress a full 360° around the coil so that a radial opening is formed extending to the center of the package. The configuration of the package permits the wire to be extracted or paid out without kinking or twisting. The twist-less payout is due to the manner in which the wire is wound. The twist in each half of the figure 8 winding is offset by the opposite twist of the winding in the other half. Thus, there would be no substantial twisting of the wire as it is paid out.
In prior art winding machines for producing, a figure 8 package includes a spindle which is rotated to wind the wire onto a mandrel or spool, and a guide which is reciprocated back and forth parallel to the axis of the spindle to lay the wire on the spool in a series of figure 8s. The stroke of the traverse is slightly out of phase with the rotation of the spool so that the crossovers progress around the mandrel.
To form the radial opening, the motion of the traverse is alternately advanced and retarded with respect to the spindle for a predetermined number of rotations of the spindle. The number of rotations is selected so that the crossovers never advance a full 360° around the spindle. Thus, a radial hole will be formed at the point where no crossovers are made. The problem with prior art winding machines is that they cannot wind at speeds greater than 1000 feet per minute. Speeds greater than 1000 feet per minute with a conventional reciprocating traverse limit high speed winding, because of the weight of the reciprocating mechanism, and the whipping of the wire between the output of the buffer and the guide tube, which in turn causes the payout hole to collapse on itself, causing an unpayable payout. These factors make unwinding more difficult and may even cause kinking of the wire or cable.
This invention improves on the deficiencies of the prior art and provides an inventive high speed winding machine with angular rotary spindle, and a method for using the same.